Wisconsin Heat Awareness Day June 12, 2014

(MADISON) – Heat can kill.  That’s why Wisconsin Emergency Management, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the National Weather Service are reminding people of the dangers associated with extreme heat and to promote community safety and health.

In 2013, Wisconsin had 11 confirmed heat related deaths. Many of those victims were socially isolated maintaining little contact with family and friends. This is why it is vitally important to check in on family, friends, and neighbors during extreme heat, especially those who are particularly vulnerable, like families with very young children, the elderly, and people who are on medications that could make them more susceptible to injury from extreme heat.

In 2012, Wisconsin had confirmed 24 heat related deaths, most occurred during five days of Excessive Heat Warnings from July 2-6. The heat index rose to 105 F degrees for 48 hours with night time lows of 75 F. It was the second hottest and third longest heat wave in Wisconsin. None of the victims had air conditioning and they did not seek shelter at one of the many cooling centers which opened around the state.

In 2011, excessive heat claimed five lives and injured more than 100 people in Wisconsin during the July 17-21 heat wave. Once again none of those victims had air conditioning. The combination of the warm temperatures and high humidity caused the heat index to rise between 100 F and 117 F degrees. 

In 1995, two major killer heat waves affected most of Wisconsin resulting in 154 heat-related deaths and over 300 heat-related illnesses.

Summer heat waves have been the biggest weather-related killers in Wisconsin for the past 50 years, far exceeding tornadoes, severe storms and floods combined. Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States. People at higher risk of a heat-related illness include:

§  Older adults

§  Infants and young children

§  People with chronic heart or lung problems

§  People with disabilities

§  Overweight persons

§  Those who work outdoors or in hot settings

§  Users of some medications, especially those taken for mental disorders, movement disorder, allergies, depression, and heart or circulatory problems

§  People who are socially isolated and don’t know when or how to cool off – or when to call for help

 

 

  Tips to keep safe in hot weather:

1.     Never leave children, disabled persons, or pets in a parked car – even briefly.  Temperatures in a car can become life threatening within minutes. On an 80-degree day with sunshine, the temperature inside a car even with the windows cracked slightly can rise 20 to 30 degrees above the outside temperature in 10 to 20 minutes. There have been cases where the inside temperature rose 40 degrees! Additional information at:

      http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtml

2.     Keep your living space cool.  If you have an air conditioner, use it. Cover windows to keep the sun from shining in.  If you don’t have an air conditioner you should consider going to a community cooling center. If you stay at home, open windows to let air circulate. At extreme high temperatures, a fan loses its ability to effectively reduce heat-related illness. When it’s hotter than 95 degrees use fans to blow hot air out of the window rather than to blow hot air on your body.  

 

3.     Slow down and limit physical activity.  Plan outings or exertion for the early morning or after dark when temperatures are cooler.

4.     Drink plenty of water and eat lightly.  Don’t wait for thirst, but instead drink plenty of water throughout the day.  Avoid alcohol or caffeine and stay away from hot, heavy meals. 

 

5.     Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing.  Add a hat or umbrella to keep your head cool…and don’t forget sunscreen!

6.     Don’t stop taking medication unless your doctor says you should.  Take extra care to stay cool and ask your doctor or pharmacist for any special heat advice.

 

7.     Taking a cool shower or bath will cool you down.  A shower or bath will actually work faster than an air conditioner.  Applying cold wet rags to the neck, head and limbs also cools down the body quickly.

 

NOAA Emergency Radios Save Lives

May 7 is NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Awareness Day (MADISON) – Recent tornado outbreaks in the central U.S. remind us that it is time to prepare for possible tornadoes here in Wisconsin. May 7, 2014 is NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Awareness Day. The campaign encourages Wisconsin residents to own a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio, a 24-hour source of weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and non-weather emergency information provided by the National Weather Service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “NOAA All Hazards Weather Radios save lives,” says Brian Satula, Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator. “The early warning of possible danger gives you and your family time to act and stay safe.” Satula adds this reminder, “Listen, Act and Live! Listen to the weather radio warnings and take action right away. You’ll have a much better chance of surviving disaster.” Many communities have outdoor warning sirens. Tornado sirens are designed to alert people who may be outdoors. If you are inside a building or sleeping you may not hear the sirens. That’s why NOAA All Hazards Weather Radios are called “smoke detectors for severe weather.” It should be your primary source to alert you and your families about severe weather and other emergencies. A NOAA Weather Radio with an alarm and battery back-up is one of the best ways to protect your family, especially at night when the alarm feature can wake you up during severe weather and give you and your family time to seek appropriate shelter. There are also weather radios available that are portable and can be used while camping, boating and other outdoor activities. ReadyWisconsin profiles people who survived tornadoes thanks to an emergency weather radio. You can see those profiles at http://readywisconsin.wi.gov The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network started in 1972 and is the sole government-operated radio system to provide direct warnings for all hazardous conditions that pose a threat to lives and property. There are 37 stations that broadcast weather and hazards information to the residents of Wisconsin, and over 1,000 stations nationwide. Weather radios come in many sizes, with a variety of functions and costs. They can be purchased at most electronic stores. Most weather radio receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup. Many receivers have digital technology called Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) that allows users to program their radios to alarm only for hazardous conditions that affect their county. For additional information about weather radios including real life stories of Wisconsin residents who survived a tornado thanks to the early warning from a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio, go to http://readywisconsin.wi.gov. You’ll also find a Q & A section with the most asked questions about emergency weather radios.

Wisconsin's Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week April 21-25

Flood Precaution and Preventative Measures

This year’s winter is finally drawing to a close.  A thicker than usual snow pack has sparked concern over possible flooding as it warms up through the spring.  The national weather service has forecasted temperatures to be below normal and models indicate a gradual thaw.  This may seem less than ideal because the snow will hang around longer but it’s great news for those worried about flooding.  A slow thaw will give the rivers and streams time to ferry away the water at a lower level preventing flooding.  Although the forecast is for a gradual melt, we could still see flooding.  The worst case scenario would be for several days of heavy rain in April before the ground has fully thawed.  If this happens, flooding of level ground is certain to happen. 

There are steps for homeowners to take in flood prone areas. 

Buy flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Plan if you live in a flood plain.

• Elevate the furnace, water heater, air conditioner and other utilities that are ground level.
• Install "check valves" in sewer traps to prevent flood water back ups.
• Construct interior barriers to stop low level floodwater from entering basements.
• Read Living in the Floodplain: What You Need to Know - Who You Need to Know .  This publication is available from the WDNR.

All homeowners should also consider doing the following regardless of if they have flooded recently or not.

• Seal walls in basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.
• Remove inventory or important papers and possessions from the basement.
• Back up important computer files and store in a secure off site location.

These simple steps can prevent costly damage to homeowners and make flood recovery easier and faster.

Cleaner Wood Burning

 

Wood Smoke and Asthma: Breathe Easier

 

 

 

Wood Smoke and Asthma: Reduce Smoke

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJXj9j3g7EM

 

Wood Smoke and Asthma: Dry Firewood

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-OfbPjXPUU

 

During the wintertime, residential wood smoke is a main contributor to fine particle pollution and is responsible for poor air quality days in many areas across the United States. Particle pollution in wood smoke can affect everyone, but children, teenagers, older adults, people with lung disease, including asthma and COPD, or people with heart disease are the most vulnerable.

 

Particle pollution exposure can lead to a variety of health effects. For example, numerous studies link particle levels to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits—and even to early death.  Research indicates that obesity or diabetes may increase risk. New or expectant mothers may also want to take precautions to protect the health of their babies.

 

EPA’s Burn Wise program encourages communities and their citizens to implement safe burning practices by emphasizing the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the

right wood-burning appliance.

Take Care of Shorelines on Legend Lake

Channels and Erosion Concerns

 

Erosion of our shorelines is becoming an increasing concern for Legend Lake, especially in the relatively shallow channels.  Each channel was initially created to be around ten feet deep throughout the center of the entire length.  Over several decades, erosion has filled many of these channels so they are only 6-8 feet deep in 2013.  Sandy, unstable shoreline areas with minimal vegetation and boat wakes are leading to excess sedimentation of the navigation channels.

 

Two things need to happen to slow or stop this trend.  One, boaters need to obey slow-no-wake rules.  Too many boaters cruise through too fast, creating wakes of 6-12 inches high.  This may not seem like a lot, but it is causing a lot of undercutting of the banks along these channels.  Two, landowners along these channels need to do their best to vegetate and naturalize all shoreline areas they own that are not part of their access and viewing corridor.  Heavy vegetation along the shoreline and on all sloped areas will hold the sand/soil in place better.  The more dense, non-mowed areas of native vegetation we can promote along these channels, the better we can keep these waterways from filling in with sediments.

 

Any channel that becomes unnavigable due to sedimentation will probably require dredging.  Dredging can cost millions of dollars and permits are not always granted by the State.  Preventing the filling of our channels is the best way to avoid extremely expensive dredging in the future.  Please do your part to help combat the problem.

 

Islands in Legend Lake

 

  There are four islands within the Legend Lake chain.  The large town owned conservancy in Peshtigo Lake is mostly unused.  The two islands in Big Blacksmith Lake are owned by LLPOA and are used by boaters to a small degree.  Horseshoe Island is also a Town owned conservancy in Pyawasit Lake, and I used heavily along the southern “tips of the horseshoe”.

 

Heavy use and users ramming their boats into the shore have destabilized much of the bank in these areas.  Horseshoe Island is eroding away at a rate of several feet per year.  The island is a great gathering place to socialize, but we need to protect it for future users and for the protected cove it provides for wildlife habitat.  Several species of fish and birds breed in this inner area of the island.  Please do not litter on or around the island, and most importantly, please do not ram boats into the shore or tie to trees. Please anchor your boats in the shallow sandy areas near the island and leave the shoreline and natural vegetation to grow and help protect the banks.

 

Natural Shorelines and Vegetated Buffers

 

 I’d like to promote the benefits of natural shorelines with native species of plants such as grasses, sedges, wildflowers, shrubs and trees.  Shoreline buffers like the restoration shown below add habitat for the natural food chain and protect the shoreline from erosion.  Keeping your access point to no more than 30 feet of your frontage, with the rest being natural, will keep your lake cleaner and allow more habitat and food for the fish, birds, frogs, etc.

 

Cost Sharing Available in 2014

 

I will have cost sharing money available again for naturalizing and stabilizing shorelines.  Currently this is first come first served money for eligible projects.  Stabilizing shorelines with rip-rap, bio-logs, native vegetation or other approved methods can be cost shared from 50-70%.  That means that the property owner only pays 30-50% of eligible costs (with a possible upper limit dependent on total cost), plus tax.

 

For information on cost sharing eligibility, call Jeremy Johnson at 715-799-5710. 

Teen Driving: Facts and Statistics

TEEN DRIVING: FACTS AND STATISTICS

FATALITIES

·        Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death among teens in the U.S.

·        The fatality rate for drivers age 16 to 19 is four times that of drivers age 25 to 69 years

·        The crash fatality rate (crash fatalities/100,000 population) is highest for 16- to 17-year-olds within the first six months after getting their license — and remains high through age 24

·        The top three predictors for fatality are non-use of seat belts, teen drivers and roads with speed limits of 45 mph or higher

·        Approximately two-thirds of teen passenger deaths (ages 13 to 19) occur when other teenagers are driving

 

CRASHES

·        In their first year on the road, teens are almost 10 times more likely to be in a crash

·        20 percent of 11th graders report being in a crash as a driver in the past year

·        25 percent of 9th graders report being in a crash as a passenger in their lifetimes

·        Crash risk increases incrementally with each mile per hour over the speed limit

·        Current data on crashes involving 16-year-old drivers shows that having multiple teenage passengers in the vehicle is twice as likely to cause a fatal crash as alcohol-impaired driving

·        Crashes are more common among young drivers than any other age group. In the United States, 1 in 4 crash fatalities involve someone 16 to 24 years old, nearly twice as high as other age groups

 

PARENTAL INFLUENCE

·        66 percent of teens say they care about their parents’ opinion on cell phone use while driving

·        56 percent of teens rely on their parents to learn how to drive

 

DISTRACTION

·        90 percent of teens see passenger behavior that distracts the driver

SPEEDING

·        Nearly half of teens report seeing passengers encouraging drivers to speed at least sometimes

·        Half of teen drivers report driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit at least sometimes

CELL PHONE USE

·        Nine out of 10 teens reported it was common to see teens driving while talking on a cell phone

SEAT BELT USE

·        Teens have the lowest seat belt use rates of any age group, leading to deadly consequences

·        Only 65 percent of teens consistently wear their seat belts as both a driver and passenger

·        Six out of 10 drivers ages 16 to 20 who were killed in crashes were unrestrained

·        Almost two out of three teens killed as occupants of motor vehicles are unrestrained

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

·        Teens are actually less likely than adults to get behind the wheel after drinking, but when they do, their risk of crashing is far greater

·        53 percent of teens saw substance use behind the wheel at least sometimes